PENTILLIE CASTLE WEDDING, CORNWALL
Livvy and Steve are just my kinda oddballs who tied the knot in this Fairytale Cornish Wedding Venue
I’m going to start off by saying that I’m keeping these two! They are just my kinda oddballs and I adore them! And I super loved their Pentillie Castle Wedding in Cornwall!
When we first met the meeting lasted over two hours because we just chatted so naturally and barely touched upon the subject of weddings. It was like meeting up with old friends and has felt that way ever since.
“So much so that when we ran ‘Benny Hill’ style down the street the donkey resorted to charging after us full pelt!”
A GREEDY DONKEY AND A CHAMPAGNE PICNIC
We next met in Beaulieu for the pre-wedding shoot. These soppy romantics brought a strawberry and champagne picnic and we set up near the lake. It was lovely!! Before long we began to attract some unwanted attention. Not of the many humans passing by but the attention of one particular cheeky donkey. Awr how lovely we thought so we gave him a strawberry! BIG MISTAKE! Of course then he would NOT leave us alone and wanted ALL the strawberries!
So much so that when we ran ‘Benny Hill’ style down the street the donkey resorted to charging after us full pelt! Much hilarity ensued! Needless to say I got a few snaps of the greedy fella!
We laughed about it again when it came up on the eve of the wedding. I arrived at the venue on the Friday night and a furious storm was kicking up a fuss outside but the venue offered a little sanctity of calm and we all hoped the next day would be better. I’d popped over to the venue to catch up with this lovely pair and see if they needed a hand. They were setting everything up full style and it already looked beautiful.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS? MAYBE, THINK AGAIN…
Now I’ve been guilty of a touch of scepticism in the past, when it comes to artificial flowers. However, in recent years I have been put in my place by some spectacular arrangements and displays that are truly convincing. Not only do they look great but they also last forever and can be a great alternative to real flowers. Also! You can set them all up the night before with no worries about droopy stems or wilted petals!
PENTILLIE CASTLE AND ESTATE
I hadn’t shot at Pentillie before but had visited the previous summer to reccie the joint! It…is…fabulous! Set amidst extensive grounds that stretch as far as the eye can see.
The house has a feel of being lived in, in a really good way! It’s open and welcoming and feels almost as though it’s your own for the day! The guests all stayed in the accommdation (lovely rooms just upstairs) and were greeted with a full breakfast the following morning so you can really make a weekend of it and carry on the celebrations in these intimate settings.
We worked with Lisa on the day and she was WONDERFUL! She was organised and professional but also met everything with a relaxed approach and a wicked sense of humour that perfectly suited this funny pair!
THE BATHING HUT
This absolute delight of a spot to tie the knot is right by the waters’ edge and set separately from the house, through lovely woodland. It can be reached by car along a winding road or on foot along the stunning woodland walk.
The light is perfect as huge windows throw all their daylight on to the couple as they wed and on to the faces of their loving guests. It can be decorated however you like and is ideal for intimate gatherings. I’ve photographed, maybe, 150 weddings and this was by far the most emotional. Everyone was in tears! I was nearly in tears! I was pretty cool! You can really feel the love between these two! And the love that their family have for them!
Just to explain the facial expression on Liv’s face below…her veil got snagged on the old wood floor, but she recovered it like a boss!
There’s an abundance of photo spots for before and afterwards so I was in my element! We ran through the immediate family group photos and I managed at least one faux pas! I asked all the couples to have a kiss during the ‘All Parents’ shot. What I wasn’t aware of is that Livvy’s mum and dad are no longer together!!! Luckily, the group erupted into laughter instead of throwing me daggers (which I fully deserved!). I love these moments! And I’m lucky enough to have an aptitude for making light of pretty much any situation! Phewf!
BRIDAL PORTRAITS
Livvy and Steve asked for a few portraits at the bathing hut and then for some time alone. Which I think is so important on your wedding day. Grab those moments together as much as you can. Take some time to breathe it all in and it skips past in a heart beat.
We grabbed a few shots with their cute camper for the day and some natural moments as they took a walk then I scarpered to grab some candid shots of guests back up at the House.
Livvy and Steve wanted to spend more time mingling with guests but were certain they wanted to get some photos down the Lime Avenue so we chatted through the plan and decided to get them later just before the party started to get going and the sun began to sink. The light changes completely later in the day. You get this insane golden glow on a sunny day that adds an element of magic and romance to your photos.
THE EVENING EVENTS
The speeches were fantastic with a line up of warm, open and hilariously funny chaps so I took the opportunity to snap some great expressions and interactions as the guests enjoyed the stories and anecdotes! I love the speeches for one very simple reason. Nothing about them is staged! Every image is 100% natural. Wide open mouth laughing and all the chins included!
The cake cutting brings an air of unpredictability too as the couple may play reserved and gently cut the cake, pose for a photo and move on to the first dance. Others, shove the slice into their newly betrothed face and uproars of equal laughter and horror break out! The first dance is not dissimilar…though generally there’s less cake involved.
These guys had put together a lovely routine which often adds to the nerves but does wow the audience. And if there’s a little slip up at any point, it only goes to add to the atmosphere of the night!
“Life’s too short to worry about how the napkins are folded!”
My biggest piece of advice is to not worry about things going wrong on your wedding day because as long as you embrace the madness and chaos of unpredictable events they can really add to the story of your day and are often the things you look back on with the greatest warmth.
See more of Livvy and Steve’s fabulous day here…
